Liquid storage or tempering apparatus



Au 11, 1931. H. FELDMEIER 1,817,978

LIQUID STORAGE OR TEMPERING APPARATUS Filed June 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet.1 w z; 20 1/ 22 /7 9r F m Z P 2/ I I I I I 4 IHIHII Patented Aug. 11,1931 ETE STATES HARVEY FELDIVIEIER, 03 LITTLE FALLS, NEW YDRK, ASSIGNORT CHERRY-BURRELL CORPORATION, 01? LITTLE FALLS, NEW YORK LIQUID STORAGEOR TEIEPERING APPARATUS Application filed June 10,

This invention relates to that type of tempering or storage apparatusfor milk and other liquids, in which a tempering coil or device throughwhich a heating or cooling medium flows, extends into a tank containingthe liquid, for cooling, heating or maintaining the liquid at a desiredtemperature.

Liquid storage or tempering apparatus of this character as heretoforeconstructed, have been objectionable because the joints between thetubes and the headers of the tempering coil, or the holes through whichthe tubes extend out through the wall or walls of the tank have beendisposed below the level of i the liquid in the tank, or otherwiselocated,

so that in case of leakage, a serious loss or contamination of theliquid results. Another objection has been the expense of the previousconstructions, and the inabihty of readily and individually removing thetempering tubes thereof for repairs or replacement.

One object of my invention is to provide a liquid storage or temperingapparatus of practical, desirable and economical construction whichavoids these objections.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a liquidstorage ortempering apparatus of the sort mentioned, in which loss orcontamination of the liquid being temperedis prevented in case of leaksin tempering 0011; also to provide a device of the character mentionedin which there are no jolnts or passages inside of the liquid tank orcontainer or below the highest level of the liquid in the tank throughwhich the liquid can escape or through which the tempering medium canescape into the tank; also to provide readily accessible, separableconnections between each tempering tube and the headers or fluidconnections therefor, which permit .any one or more of the tubes to beremoved from the tank for repairs or replacement without disturbing theremaining tubes; also to provide a device of the character mentioned inwhich the joints between the tempering tubes and their headers or fluidconnections are all located outside of the tank, whereby the joints canbe made of a less expensive construction than would be permissible ifthey were 10- 1529. Serial No. 369,699.

cated within the tank, or where the liquid being tempered could contactwith the joints; and also to improve storage or tempering apparatus inthe other respects hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal, sectional elevation of a liquid storage or.tempering apparatus of one construction embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, transverse, sectional elevation thereof on line22, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale showing theremovable collars or ferrules for permitting the individual removal ofthe tempering tubes from the tank.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation thereof on line 4t, Fig. 3.

F ig. 5 is a transverse, sectional elevation on an enlarged scale online 5-5, Fig. 1, showing one of the couplings for the tempering tubesand one of the collars or ferrules for permitting the removal of thetube from the tank.

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of a slightly modified construction forpermitting the individual removal of the tempering tubes.

10 represents a tank or vat which is preferably of suitable constructionfor the storage of milk, the tank shown being provided with a lining 11of nickel or other suitable sheet metal, and also preferably having itswalls of suitable heat insulating construction.

In the preferred construction illustrated, the tank is provided with astationary middle top or cover section 13 and hinged covers or lids 14suitably hinged at the opposite sides of the stationary cover section13. 15 indicates a drain fitting toward which the bottom of the tanklining preferably inclines to permitkthe liquid to drain completely fromthe tan 16 represents the tempering tubes, which are arranged withinthis tank 10 with their opposite ends extending out of the tank throughsuitable openings in the tank dis posed above the highest level of theliquid in the tank, for connection with headers 17 and 18, or othersuitable means or connections, whereby a tempering medium can be causedto flow through the tubes. Preferably the headers 17 and 18 are disposedabove the stationary cover section 13 oi the tank, and the temperingtubes 16 are or bent or U-shape and depend from the headers throughholes 19 in the cover section 13.

The tempering tubes 16 are joined to the flow fittings or headers sothat the tubes can be separately or individually disconnectet from theheaders and removed from the tank. For this purpose, each end of eachtube 16 may be detachably coupled to one of the headers 17 or 18, asshown, by a union or coupling, comprising a coupling member or flange 20secured to the end of the tube and clamped by bolts 21 to acomplementary coupling member or flange 22 on a nipple or part 23 on theheader. The tube, therefore, can be detached from the header fittings byremoving the bolts 21. In order to permit the individual removal of thetubes from the tank 10 without displacing the headers or the remainingtubes, split collars 25 may surround the ends of the tubes beneath thecoupling flanges 20 and close or fill the holes 19 in the cover section13 through which the tubes pass. The split collars 25 shown havebevelled edges adapted to wedge in the correspondingly bevelled holes 19whereby the collars are adapted to clamp on the pipes and tightly closethe holes 19, which in the particular construction shown, are formed ina flanged metal frame 26 whichis secured in and binds large opening 27in the cover section surrounding the several holes 19. By lifting up onthe headers, the split collars 25 at the opposite ends of any one of thetubes can be removed from the bevelled holes 19 in which they fit, andthen. when the opposite ends of the tube are disconnected from theheader fittings, the tube can be removed downwardly through the holes19, which are large enough to permit the passage therethrough of theflanges 20 on the ends of the tube. The tube can then be moved sidewaysout of the group of tubes and removed from J from which the tube hasbeen disconnected,

the operation of the apparatus can be continued with the remainingtubes. Therefore it is not necessary to discontinue the use of thedevice in order to repair or replace a tube except during the time thatthe individual tube is being disconnected and removed, and the nipplesfor this tube plugged.

Fig. 6 illustrates a slightly different construction which avoids thenecessity for the split collars 25 to enable the removal of the coversection 13.

tubes. In this Fig. 6 construction, the tubes are similarly connected tothe headers by coupling flanges 20 on the ends of the tubes bolted tocomplementary coupling flanges 22 on the nipples of the headers, but thetubes pass through flanged rings or sleeves 28 which closely lit thetubes beneath the coupling members 20 and are secured in holes in the Inthis construction, after the coupling members 20 and 22 aredisconnected, by removing the bolts 21, it is necessary to remove thecoupling members 20 from the ends of the tube, the coupling members 20for this purpose being screwed on the threaded ends of the tubes 16.lVhen the coupling members 20 have been unscrewed from the ends of thetubes, the tubes can be pulled downwardly through the flanged rings 28fixed to the cover section 13.

It will be noted that in the constructions described the unions orjoints between each tube and the headers 17 or 18 are located above thecover section 13 of the tank or vat 10. The joints or unions aretherefore exposed externally of the tank and are readily accessible forconnecting the tubes with and disconnecting them from the headers. Thisalso makes a less expensive construction be cause the joints or unions,being outside of the tank where they cannot come in contact with theliquid or contents of the tank, can be made of a construction andmaterials which would not be permissible it they were within the tank,or in positions where they would come in contact with the milk or liquidin the tank. milk, for instance, it would be necessary for the partsexposed to contact with the milk to be tinned or otherwise plated orprotected.

Furthermore, the openings 19 through which.

the tempering tubes extend out of the tank are located in the top orcover section 13 of the tank which, 01 course, is above the highestlevel at which the milk or liquid would ever be in the tank, so thatthere can be no leakage or waste of the liquid through the holes throughwhich the tubes pass out of the tank.

Each tempering tube in the described arrangement is free to expand andcontract independently of the others.

In devices for use with This is important, because with the usualtempering coils or devices there are serious strains set up by theunequal expansion and contraction of the different tubes.

IVhile the drawings represent the temperto the headers 17 and 18, itwill be understood that, if desired, the headers could be of a wellknown construction adapted to cause the tempering medium to flow inseries through the ing tubes 16 as being connected in parallel tion fromone header to the other can be con-- trolled as desired. A bypass ofthis sort is desirable in an ammonia cooling coil for balancing orregulating pressures in the headers and to provide the best circulationfor both the ammonia liquid and gas. The tempering coil constructed asdescribed can be used either as a direct expansion ammonia cooling coilor it can be used for water or brine circulation for cooling the milk orliquid in the tank. Likewise, the same construction is adapted to beused for heating the contents of the tank, by passing steam or othersuitable heating medium through the coil.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a closed tank adapted to contain liquid, atempering device for the liquid comprising a plurality of separate tubesdisposed within the tank and having their ends extending out of the tankthrough openings in the tank which are substantially closed by thetubes, and headers located externally of the tank and detach ably joinedto the opposite ends of said tubes for permitting the flow of atempering medium through said tubes, the joints between said tubes andsaid headers being located externally of the tank, and said joints andthe openings through which the tubes extend out of the tank beinglocated above the highest level of the liquid in the tank.

2. The combination of a closed tank adapted to contain liquid, atempering device for the liquid comprising a series of bent tubesdisposed within the tank and having their opposite ends extending out ofthe tank through openings in the tank which are substantially closed bythe tubes, and headers located externally of the tank and detachablyjoined to the opposite ends of said tubes for permitting the fiow of atempering medium through said tubes, the joints between said tubes andsaid headers and the openings through which the tubes extend out of thetank being located above the highest level of the liquid in the tank.

3. The combination of a tank adapted to contain liquid, a temperingdevice for the liquid comprising tubes disposed within the tank andhaving their ends extending out of the tank, and means locatedexternally of the tank and joined to the opposite ends of said tubes forpermitting the flow of a tempering medium through said tubes, said tubesbeing detachably joined to said meansso as to permit the tubes to beindlvidually disconnected from said means at said joints, said jointsand holes through which the tubes extend out of the tank being locatedabove the highest level of the liquid in the tank, and said tubes whendisconnected from said means being adapted to be removed through saidholes in the tank.

4. The combination of a tank adapted to contain a liquid, a temperingdevice for the liquid comprising bent tubes disposed within the tank andhaving their opposite ends extending out through holes in the tank,headers arranged externally of thetank, and

unions detachably connecting the opposite ends of sald tubes to saidheaders, sald umons being constructed to permlt the tubes to beindividually disconnected from said headers, and the ends of said tubeswhen disconnected from said headers being adapted to pass through saidholes in the tank.

5. The combination of a tank adapted to contain a liquid, and having acover, a tempering device for the liquid comprising a plurality ofnested tubes having ends extending out through holes in said tank cover,and means located externally of the tank and joined outside of the tankto the ends of said tubes for permitting the flow of a tempering mediumthrough said tubes, the tubes being detachably joined to said externalmeans and being separately removable through said holes when detachedfrom said external means.

6. The combination of a tank adapted to contain a liquid, and having acover, a tempering device for the liquid comprising bent tubes havingopposite ends extending outthrough holes in said tank cover, and headerslocated above said tank cover and detachably joined outside of the coverto the opposite ends of said bent tubes.

7. The combination of a tank adapted to contain a liquid, and having acover, a tempering device for the liquid comprising bent tubes havingopposite ends extending out through holes in said tank cover, andheaders located above said tank cover and detachably joined outside ofthe cover to the opposite ends of said bent tubes, the ends of said benttubes when disconnected from said headers being adapted to pass throughthe holes in said tank cover.

8. The combination of a tank adapted to contain a liquid, a temperingdevice for the liquid comprising tubes disposed within said tank andhaving ends extending out through holes in said tank, a header locatedexternally of said tank, unions detachably joining the ends ofsaid-tubes to said headers externally of the tank, and means which closethe holes through which the tubes extend out of the tank and which aremovable to permit the ends of the tubes to pass through said holes whenthe tubes are detached from the header.

9. The combination of a tank adapted to contain a liquid, a temperingdevice for the liquid comprising tubes disposed within said tank andhaving ends extending out through holes in said tank, a header locatedexternally of said tank, unions detachably joining the ends of saidtubes to said header externally of the tank, and removable collarssurrounding the ends of the tubes and closing the holes through whichthe tubes extend, said collars being removable to permit the ends of thetubes to pass through said holes when the tubes are detached from theheader.

10. The combination of a tank adapted to contain a liquid, 21 temperingdevice for the liquid comprising tubes disposed within said tank andhaving ends extending out through holes in said tank, a header locatedexternally of said tank, unions detachably joining the ends of saidtubes to said headers externally of the tank, and split collars closelysurrounding the ends of the tubes and tightly fitting in the holesthrough which the tubes extend, said split collars being removable fromsaid holes to permit the ends of the tubes to pass through the holesWhen said tubes are detached from the header.

HARVEY FELDMEIEB.

